China’s first batch of battery-replaceable electric taxis, 200 in total, will be put into operation in Beijing in the first quarter of 2016, the Beijing Daily reported Monday. About 10,000 such taxis will be launched nationwide in 2016.

The cars named EU220, with body in yellow and white, rolled off the assembly line recently and then were delivered to two taxis companies in Beijing named Beijing Beiqi Taxi Group and Shouqi Taxi Group.

Zhang Kai, head of the new energy platform of the BAIC Motor Corporation Ltd and chief engineer of EU220 project, said that with a mileage of 220km and top speed of 159 km/h, this model only consumes 16kWh every 100 kilometers.

He added that taxi drivers can have their batteries replaced in nearby stations within three minutes, even shorter than the fueling time of gas-powered vehicles.

To solve the charging problem, the new energy platform of the BAIC Motor has signed agreement with Beijing Oil Products Company to turn some of Beijing's SINOPEC gas stations into battery swap stations.

Compared with the gas-powered vehicles, the battery-replaceable electric ones are more cost effective. As an electric car, the EV220, for instance, could save about 180,000 yuan for drivers compared with the gas-powered ones after six years' drive with a daily mileage of 350 km.

Zhang also said that the car is also environmental friendly. The carbon emission saved by 10,000 electric taxis equals to that absorbed by 180,000 trees.

Beijing Public Transportation Group also announced to purchase 2,700 buses this year, in which electric ones take up to 81 percent.